Car Troubles

Ikoda

Ikoda

Well-Known Member
Seems it never ends for me... !
Probably the wrong forum... but hey, any thoughts would be appreciated.

Car broke down on Friday. The timing belt snapped while I was on the motorway back to Bristol.
They fitted a new cam belt to it yesterday, and nothing. Upon a slightly closer inspection, none of the pistons are compressing. I've not had the head taken off yet to find out the rest of the damage. But by the sound of it, it's pretty much the end of the engine.

I'm kind of at a cross roads for what to do. Scrap the car, get maybe £150 for it. Fix the engine or put a second hand engine in it, then either sell it or keep it.

What are your thoughts, spotlighters?
 
Thats some real bad luck, had it happen to mine a few years ago and car was worth £1500, cost me £1200 to fix in the end :(
If it was to happen again and the car wasn't worth any real value i'd scrap it and buy a new one. If you have already spent on it though its a tough call, it depends on how much you like/want the car.
Buy a new one 8)
 
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Without knowing the value of the car when it's up & running, difficult to say...

Second hand engines aren't guaranteed, and a rebuild from a "good" engine place won't be cheap.

If it's a sub £1,500 car, might be better cutting your losses.

:(
 
It's a sub £1,500 car. In pristine condition, without the airbag sensor faults (requiring a new steering column), I may of got £2k for it if I was lucky.
 
Ikoda said:
It's a sub £1,500 car. In pristine condition, without the airbag sensor faults (requiring a new steering column), I may of got £2k for it if I was lucky.
Click to expand...

it depends on your cash flow. I'm assuming that you own the car clear? If you don't want a car payment have the engine rebuilt. It will be loads cheaper than a new car. When the timing belt goes normally the timing is out of whack or the cam shaft is damaged(not an expensive repair). Is the mechanic trying to take every quid from your wallet? Do you trust them? Are you mechanically inclined? If the car is sound and not a money pit otherwise the engine rebuild would be the cheaper route.
 
The pistons have touched and bent or broken the valves, If it turns over but no compression without very nasty noises, Chances are they are just bent, It may or may not have bent the con rods (rod that connects piston to crankshaft)
I would start by seeing if you can get and how much a second hand head would be for it, If poss and reasonable, It would be worth taking the head off and checking damage first, There`s a good chance the head is beyond economical repair, Hence the second hand, But also get the mechanic to check deck heights, see if the rods are bent ( if they are , Engine is dead)
If head is dead and rods are straight, 600 ish should be somewhere near,

Tim
 
I own the car in the clear, yes.
I'm not mechanically inclined, but my father is.

I've asked the garage to take the head off and have a look.
 
Ikoda said:
Seems it never ends for me... !
Probably the wrong forum... but hey, any thoughts would be appreciated.

Car broke down on Friday. The timing belt snapped while I was on the motorway back to Bristol.
They fitted a new cam belt to it yesterday, and nothing. Upon a slightly closer inspection, none of the pistons are compressing. I've not had the head taken off yet to find out the rest of the damage. But by the sound of it, it's pretty much the end of the engine.

I'm kind of at a cross roads for what to do. Scrap the car, get maybe £150 for it. Fix the engine or put a second hand engine in it, then either sell it or keep it.

What are your thoughts, spotlighters?
Click to expand...

sounds like the valves are fooked. i had a cam belt go on my Pug 205 many moons ago... breakdown man asked me if i tried to start it up... i said yes. he said shouldnt have tried cos all it does is make the pistons hammer into the valves... £400 job back in 1997.
 
£605, + £225 already spent on the cambelt and labour to remove the head.

Think my decision is made. I'm going to have to scrap it.
 
Two questions:
Can you get something else to drive for £605?
If you spend the £605, are this car & its engine going to last for a while?
 
I can switch to public transport, which is £60 a month. My insurance and fuel is about £200.
So I wouldn't be buying another car for the time being.

I'm not sure how long the car or the engine would last. Depends if they cock up or purposefully leave something so I have to take it back in in six months. It also needs to be road taxed.
 
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